Pleasantville Follows Greenburgh’s Wrong Course

In an article ABG found online from the White Plains Examiner, entitled, “Changes to P’ville Assisted Living Plan; Zoning Request Submitted” (http://www.theexaminernews.com/changes-to-pville-assisted-living-plan-zoning-request-submitted/), we found an eery and disappointing similarity to the zoning law change The Paul trumpeted through the Town Board’s phony approval process, aka “rubber stamp” for Brightview Assisted Living. In a move to to create an assisted living community behind Pleasantville’s United Methodist Church, a senior housing developer has proposed to officially request a zoning text amendment and map change as of last week.

The Wellesley, Massachusetts based Benchmark Senior Living representatives explained their plan at Monday’s Pleasantville Village Board meeting. They’ve proposed a plan for a 3.5-acre parcel of land from the church if their proposal receives approvals from the village. Benchmark is seeking approval for a new “floating zone” called the Eldercare Community District. This is the first in a series of steps necessary for the applicant to eventually build on the land. The “floating zone” would allow the village board the ability to approve assisted living facilities in areas that meet certain criteria, such as the requirement to develop the project on at least three acres with frontage on a state or county road. Sounds familiar.

Benchmark’s plan includes a four-story, 87-unit building in a residential area. Similarly, the Brightview Assisted Living Center facility is proposing to build a 90-unit four story building on a 4 acre parcel of land. They wrote the zoning law change and gave it to The Paul to rubber stamp to have their proposal move forward. Interestingly, Pleasantville Mayor Peter Scherer said the board has yet to receive the text of the amendment because Benchmark is still “tinkering” with it. Wow! Does anyone else see a problem with a developer drafting the zoning change they need to proceed with a for-profit proposal? Sounds familiar.

ABG has previously posted that our Town Board, Planning Board, Legal and Building Departments should be capable of writing an amendment to Greenburgh’s existing Zoning Law for Assisted Living Facilities within the Town. We would certainly hope for all the money Greenburgh taxpayers are losing under The Paul’s tenure that our own people could capably handle this and not the applicant! Although, when questioned before about another building proposal in Fairview, Councilman Francis “Back Pocket” Sheehan stated it was not unusual for contractors and developers to write zoning changes for their projects in the Town where one does not exist.

“The idea is to make it possible to allow certain kinds of uses, in this case assisted living, in various other zones without changing the underlying zoning,” Scherer said. “When we get it, we’ll have the option to accept it, reject it or to say we want to change it some way.” While we certainly appreciate the intent of what is being crafted to address Assisted Living facilities, it should be taken out of the hands of the developer. In fact, in Greenburgh, we have a Comprehensive Steering Committee that has been trying to develop and introduce a comprehensive plan for the Town. They should be writing the zoning amendment for the Town. The Paul has stalled their movement by adding more tasks for them to perform before the Comprehensive Plan can be introduced and even adopted. Once the Comprehensive Plan is adopted by the Town, The Paul’s wholesaling of the Unincorporated Greenburgh will be severely stunted. It’s probably why he won’t allow their mission to reach consummation!

Whether or not a good, usable, zoning change is offered or another developer gets to take advantage of this Village remains to be seen. We hope their elected officials are less yielding than Greenburgh’s and will focus on what is right for the Village and it’s residents, not the developer. We can only hope.